In 2022, with support from School Mental Health Ontario (SMHO), the WRDSB Mental Health Leadership Team embarked on a process to create its next three-year Mental Health and Addictions Plan.

Within this plan, every WRDSB student has opportunities to engage in mental health and well-being learning through identity-affirming and culturally relevant pedagogy. Students will be supported through the use of evidence-based strategies that will help:
Develop their mental health literacy skills
Enhance their knowledge of pathways to support for themselves and others

Families, community and education staff can see themselves reflected in the strategy as strong contributors to the overall wellness of students.

This plan aligns closely to the six areas of the WRDSB’s strategic directions. It centers students and ensures there is support for student well-being regardless of their:

  • Age
  • Grade
  • Identity
  • Care needs

Centering the identities of students and nurturing their lived experiences is imperative to supporting their well-being. Collectively, we all have a responsibility to cultivate and foster positive mental health for students to ensure the continuity of care.

Learn how we are putting our Mental Health and Addictions plan into action: Action and Implementation Plan.

About the Mental Health and Addictions Strategy

The Mental Health and Addictions Strategy demonstrates the importance of placing the whole student at the core of our work. Students’ overall well-being encompasses their physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being in the context of their identities and intersectionalities.

Mental health and well-being is a collective responsibility. Families and caregivers are pillars in promoting and supporting the students’ educational journeys. We seek to engage caregivers in mental health literacy learning alongside students and staff to support student well-being across settings.

The collective responsibility for mental health promotion, prevention and support are shared by many staff. It is vital to highlight the many roles at WRDSB that are foundational in building and nurturing WRDSB students’ overall well-being.

In this image, there are two concentric circles with each "whole student" at the centre of the inner circle. Also within this inner circle are each student's families and caregivers, and ensuring an identity-affirming and equity minded perspective to all we do to support students. The outer circle represents our educational environment, which includes the WRDSB Conditions for Learning and various Educators and other staff that support students. Some of the staff listed include: Speech Language Pathologists, Child and Youth Workers, Custodians, Administrative Assistants, Educational Assistants, Social Workers, Designated Early Childhood Educators, Psychologists, Educators and Administrators. This is to represent that we all have a role to play in supporting student mental health and well-being. Within this circle there is also a reference to the communities in which each student participates, as we have a shared responsibility to support student well-being in and outside of school. Outside of the circles on the left are the three tiers of support with tier 1 at the bottom, tier 2 in the middle, and tier 3 at the top. This represents the different levels of support for students, ranging from universal supports that benefit every student, to individualized supports and connections to community treatment programs for those with the highest levels of need.

This plan allows every person connected to the WRDSB to see:

  • Themselves reflected in the work of student mental health and well-being
  • The value that each role plays in nurturing the whole student

Anyone who interacts with students contributes to the creation of mentally healthy school environments where students feel a sense of belonging and support.

Alongside caregivers and educators, our community partners play a vital role in supporting students not only in schools, but outside of the educational setting. We work closely with community partners to:

  • Create a community of belonging
  • Engage in joint local planning in order to improve processes and identify and address systemic challenges

Tiers of Support

Support for students can range from tier one mental health literacy learning to tier three supports like:

  • Evidence-informed brief interventions
  • Consultations
  • Referrals to community treatment supports

At the tier one level, all students are engaged in mental health literacy, promotion and prevention activities such as:

  • Building mental health literacy
  • Social emotional learning

These initiatives are supported by School Mental Health Ontario as well as local community partners. Tier one resources and support are beneficial to all students.

At the tier two level, some students are engaged in targeted prevention and brief services from support staff.

Tier three involves evidence-informed interventions, consultations and additional support from the community for a smaller number of students with the highest level of need. These can include community treatment programs, and family supports.

Read more about how we are moving from words to action: Action and Implementation Plan.

Priority Areas

In the 2022-2025 plan, four priority areas have been identified. Each year, an annual action plan is created within the context of these priority areas. It includes not just goals, but also the associated action items and anticipated outcomes.

Priority #1 – Support Students

Enhance and build mental health wealth for students (building students’ “toolbox” to include social emotional literacy, resiliency, strategies to enhance well-being).

Priority #1 Goals

  1. Engage students in identifying mental health learning needs for elementary and secondary students at the WRDSB and respond with evidence-informed and identity-affirming resources, information and support
  2. Provide students from JK to grade 12 with curriculum-embedded mental health education to support their social emotional learning and mental health literacy
  3. Collaborate with addictions prevention partners to provide developmentally-appropriate substance use prevention activities to elementary and secondary students
  4. Ensure consistent use of PHIPA compliant virtual platforms for virtual care, when needed

Priority #2 – Equip Staff

Enhance staff learning and well-being to facilitate and implement student mental health literacy and supports

Priority #2 Goals

  1. Select and implement role-appropriate training for staff across the board that supports student mental health and well-being and aligns with the WRDSB values, vision and strategic directions
  2. Equip staff across our system and at all levels of leadership with evidence-informed knowledge and tools to support student well-being and mental health
  3. Reduce stigma around mental health absences

Priority #3 – Identity-affirming learning and care

Ensure that mental health resources are culturally relevant and identity affirming for all students and staff across all tiers

Priority #3 Goals

  • Build intentional relationships and formal partnerships with organizations that support and represent a range of student identities and intersectionalities
  • Embed culturally responsive and identity affirming perspectives in all mental health and well-being activities

Priority #4 – Foster Partnerships

“De-silo” mental health to include a collaborative approach across systems and enhance inclusive community partnerships

Priority #4 Goals

  • Collaborate with community service providers to improve accessibility to a robust mental health system of care
  • Collaborate across roles and departments within the WRDSB to leverage the diversity of skills and expertise in order to best support student well-being and mental health

Looking Ahead

The 2024-2025 school year is the final year of this 3-year plan. Next year we will engage a wide array of stakeholders to inform the creation of a 2025-2028 Mental Health and Addictions Strategic Plan for the WRDSB.

We look forward to hearing from:

  • Students
  • Staff
  • Families and caregivers
  • Trustees
  • Community members

We hope to hear from students of all ages and identities in order to create the most inclusive and supportive plan yet.